You are here

Senior White House policy analyst to speak at Union College

November 26, 2012

Allan Manuel, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President of the United States, will speak at a special Associated Student Body convocation service on Tuesday, November 27, at 10:30 a.m.

Manuel, who has spent most of his career in public service, will speak about staying true to Christian principals when serving in a government where many perceive compromise to be the norm. He also hopes through visiting classes and individual meetings to encourage students to explore career opportunities and apply for internships in the federal government.

“Public service in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches is a noble calling,” he explained. “Our country needs its best and brightest to develop and implement policies, laws and decisions that impact and benefit all Americans and influence the whole world.”

Previously, Manuel served as Senior Legal Council and Deputy Division Chief at the Federal Communications Commission where he was heavily involved in emergency preparedness including authoring portions of a post-9/11 report to congress on the nation’s backup communications system and working with the response to both Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake of 2010.

For Manuel, who started his career in public service as a clerk for two judges on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals after earning his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, “serving the public—which comprises my family, friends, and neighbors” has been the most rewarding part of a his career in government service, along with “having the opportunity to apply my God-given talents, skills, and experiences to address (and sometimes solve) complex issues of vital importance to the America's national security, homeland security, economic posture, international relations, and health and safety of its people.”

Although he earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Maryland, Manuel’s career steered him towards technology policy at the FCC and now in the White House. “Since elementary school I have been interested in science and technology,” he said. “Through God's leading, I have had unique opportunities to utilize my abilities in very interesting technical areas, some of which are classified.”

Along with his convocation talk and meetings with various classes while on campus, Manuel will available to talk with students about government careers and internships and the importance of science and technology education during lunch in the President’s Dining Room in Union Market from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and one-on-one in the Career Center from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Manuel’s talk will take place on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary of the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 48th and Prescott Streets on the campus of Union College. His presentation is free and open to the public. No advance registration required.